Have you ever considered walking or biking for your commute? Well, you might want to start; compared to the last 8 years, gas prices are at an all-time high. Politicians are being blamed as people of our nation are cracking open their piggy banks to afford the new luxurious cost. 

“The average price of a gallon hit $3.47 on Wednesday, Feb 9 according to AAA, a jump of 8 cents from the previous week,” CBS News said. 

According to the Senate RPC, the cost of gas has risen at an alarming rate of 40% since 2021. An increasing number because our major natural gas pipeline is still shut down.

“I just wish that our current president and his staff would see fit to open up our eastern pipeline again so that our prices could go down,” Shelly Montanez, Latin teacher, said.

Recently, the conflict between Russia and Ukraine is making a devastating impact. The energy supply chains remain severely repressed because Russia is a main global oil producer.

“Russia is the second-largest oil producer globally. If it invades Ukraine, the United States would likely respond with sanctions. In turn, Russia could retaliate by curtailing crude oil exports,”  York Daily Record said.

This has a great impact on everyone, but what the public eye doesn’t shed light on is the effect on newly licensed drivers who are balancing work, school, and extracurricular activities. 

“I’m sure it affects young people more so than adults because we have higher-paying jobs. I know when I was a teenager my parents told me if I couldn’t fill the tank then I couldn’t drive,” Montanez said.

Students find it hard to come up with enough money to afford gas. Some are left to work an afterschool job and quit extracurriculars so they can pay the increased price.

“It’s affecting me by how low my amount of money is becoming and I have to get a job now to afford it,” Riley Higgins, 10, said.

Don’t hold your breath waiting for someone to make a change because, unfortunately, there is no apparent light at the end of the tunnel yet.

“The industry had to shut down to adjust to much lower consumption during the pandemic, and they haven’t quite caught up to demand yet,” PBS News said.

For now, Americans are left feeling guilty at the pump knowing gas prices won’t go down any time soon.

“Every time I drive I feel like I am just wasting money day by day,” Higgins said.

It is difficult to stay positive when there is no promised decrease anytime soon. Hope for a change is a feeling spread across our nation.

“I remember not too long ago when the price was two dollars and it was so exciting because everybody was traveling and not nervous about how we were going to fill up our gas tank next time. I hope that there is light coming in the future for our gas prices going down because it just keeps going up and up and up,” Montanez said.